Mexican Tortilla Bake

Last nights Meatless Monday was a hit! I was totally surprised how much Sophia loved the dinner I made. Ive been slacking with my recipes (and my posts), so stumbling upon this gem was a big surprise! I actually had the recipe stored away for a while in my trusty little marble copy book. I really need to use that book more often! This was one of the simplest recipes I have made in a long while.

• 2 cups frozen corn, thawed
• 1/3 cup sliced green onion
• 2 tsp cumin
• 1 can black beans, rinsed and drained
• 1 can diced tomatoes
• 1 4.5oz can chopped chiles
• (4) 6 inch tortillas
• 1 1/2 cups reduced fat cheddar or Mexican blend cheese, shredded

Preheat oven to 400. Combine first 7 ingredients in a bowl. Place 2 tortillas in an 11"x7" greased baking dish. Spoon half the corn mixture over the tortillas followed by half the cheese. Repeat with another layer of tortillas, corn mixture, and cheese. Bake 15 minutes. Let stand 2 minutes before cutting. Top with 1 Tbsp sour cream if desired.

I was a bit nervous serving this to Sophia. I decided to leave the chiles out to eliminate the spice for her. She goes back and forth on whether she likes beans. Last night she decided that she did in fact like them. After eating her entire plate and asking for some of mine, she specifically requested that I send it to school for her lunch. I had thought the recipe was going to make way too much, but between the two of us having dinner and the next days lunch out of it, it managed to be the perfect amount. I still have a little leftover in my fridge to send to school with Sophia tomorrow. Even her teachers were raving about the lunch she brought to school today. Miss Amy, the woman who runs Sophia's PreK actually commented on my facebook page that Sophia's lunch looked and smelled amazing. I can't even lie, the compliments from her teachers is what made me want to rush and share the recipe on the blog.

I will definitely be making this recipe again. I cant wait until the peak of summer when I can try to use some fresh corn and tomatoes. I have also thought about using some refried beans under the layers of the corn mixture. Refried beans are one of my favorite Mexican ingredients! I found a simple crock pot recipe to make them fresh instead of from a can. Apparently the canned refried beans are not entirely horrible either. If you pay attention to the ingredients list, you will be able to find some that only list the beans. One ingredient products are the best! I wonder if I can make some whenever beans are on sale and then can them myself....hmmm....

Oh! I saved the best for last. This recipe is a weight watchers recipe. I don't know how many points it is considered, but it is only 221 calories per serving!